AND YOU?

1. Do you ever feel like you’re struggling to juggle relationships, work, and classes? Many of us do, and often enough, the first thing we cut out of our busy daily routine is sleep.
2. For better or worse, the human body needs an adequate amount of sleep to function properly, and my research indicates that we simply aren’t getting enough of it.
3. You must understand the causes and effects of sleep deprivation, as well as simple steps to take to avoid it, to improve your life now and avoid costly personal and social ramifications.
4. Today I will speak about sleep deprivation. I will begin by explaining what it is, before moving on to its causes and effects, and examining simple solutions to the problem.

1. In a personal communication with Dr. Arkeenah Jones, a family physician, on March 15, 2013, she noted that sleep deprivation is a condition in which a person does not get enough sleep, which can lead to chronic exhaustion.
   1. The National Sleep Foundation’s 2013 Bedroom Poll notes that 78 percent of American adults polled sleep less than eight hours per night, with 53 percent getting less than the minimum recommended seven hours sleep per night.
   2. The results of the survey I passed out last week reveal that 30 percent of people in this very classroom get less than six hours of sleep on weeknights.

2. There are many causes of sleep deprivation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
   1. Busy work and family schedules contribute to sleep deprivation.
      1. As college students, many of us are trying to handle full-time course work and full-or part-time jobs to help pay for tuition, in addition to maintaining relationships with loved ones.
      2. New parents are often incredibly sleep deprived as they attempt to adjust to life with an infant as well as those infamous nighttime feedings.
      3. Shift workers (including police officers, nurses, pilots, and so on) often have trouble establishing good sleep habits because their schedules change frequently and they are sometimes required to work the night shift.
   2. Late-night television and Internet use can interfere with the ability to fall asleep or can prevent individuals from adhering to a bedtime schedule.
   3. The use of caffeine and alcohol can also make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep.
   4. Some medical conditions—including insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea—also make sleeping incredibly difficult.

3. Sleep deprivation can have negative effects on the health and safety of individuals and the community at large.
   1. According to Lisa Zamosky, a health columnist for the Los Angeles Times and writer for WebMD, sleep deprivation is linked to poor concentration and lack of energy.
      1. Sleep deprivation decreases workplace productivity, at a cost of more than $3,000 per employee annually, as noted by Patrick Skerritt in the Harvard Business Review.
      2. Sleep deprivation is a leading cause of automobile accidents, especially among adolescent motorists, according to a February 15, 2010, report by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
   2. Dr. Michael J. Breus, “The Sleep Doctor” of WebMD, also notes that sleep deprivation causes relational stress.
      1. In my own life, I certainly find that I argue more with friends and family when I’m exhausted than I do when I’m well rested.
      2. The results of the survey I conducted indicate that 55 percent of the members of this class find that “arguing with a loved one” is a problematic outcome of not getting enough sleep.
   3. Dr. Arkeenah Jones notes that sleep deprivation affects memory and cognitive ability.
      1. In fact, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study noted that 23.2 percent of sleep-deprived individuals report difficulties with concentration. Similarly, 18.2 percent report difficulty remembering information.
      2. Dr. Pamela Thatcher, a psychology professor at St. Lawrence University, conducted a study in which she discovered that students who pull all-night study sessions typically have lower GPAs than those who do not.
   4. Sleep deprivation can contribute to chronic health conditions, including depression, obesity, and diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

4. You can avoid sleep deprivation with a few simple changes to your daily routine.
   1. Make sleeping a priority in your life, along with your other commitments.
   2. Have consistent sleep and wake-up times, even on weekends.
   3. Don’t watch television, play on your laptop, or even study in bed. Try to reserve your bed for sleeping.
   4. Don’t drink alcohol or consume caffeine too close to bedtime.

1. Sadly, a realization about the dangers of sleep deprivation came too late for Christine Padilla, a new mother who ran a red light while fatigued and driving only thirty-three hours after giving birth. Padilla struck a nanny pushing a toddler in a stroller, killing the forty-one-year-old woman and seriously injuring the little boy, according to a report by Snejana Farberoy in The Daily Mail.
2. As you’ve seen today, sleep deprivation is a concerning problem for individuals and communities.
   1. It has many causes ranging from busy schedules and media use to caffeine and alcohol consumption and medical problems.
   2. Its effects can be devastating, as I’ve detailed in this speech.
   3. Luckily, many of us can prevent sleep deprivation by making simple changes to our daily routines.
3. Now go get some rest . . . after all of today’s speeches are over, that is!

1. Juggling commitments? Many give up sleeping.
2. We need sleep; research = we don’t get enough.
3. Be informed about sleep deprivation (SD) to improve life and prevent negative consequences.
4. I will discuss SD: what, causes, effects, prevention.

1. SD = not enough sleep; can lead to chronic exhaustion (Dr. Arkeenah Jones, personal communication, March 15, 2013)
   1. 78% of American adults sleep >8 hours per night, and 53% sleep >7 hours per night. (National Sleep Foundation’s 2013 survey)
   2. 30% of people in class sleep >6 hours on weeknights. (my survey)

2. SD causes (CDC)
   1. Family and work
      1. College students—course work, jobs, relationship
      2. New parents—crying, hungry babies
      3. Shift workers—trouble with consistent schedules
   2. Television and Internet
   3. Caffeine and alcohol
   4. Medical conditions—insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea

3. SD has negative effects for individuals and community.
   1. Decreases performance and alertness (Lisa Zamosky, health columnist for the Los Angeles Times and writer for WebMD)
      1. Decreases workplace productivity; costs >$3,000 per employee annually (Patrick D. Skerritt, Harvard Business Review)
      2. Causes auto accidents, especially teens (American Academy of Sleep Medicine, February 15, 2010)
   2. Causes relational stress (Dr. Michael J. Breus, “The Sleep Doctor” for WebMD)
      1. True for me!
      2. 55% of class fights with loved ones from SD (my survey)
   3. Affects memory and cognitive ability (Dr. Jones)
      1. 23.2% report difficulties with concentration; 18.2% report difficulty remembering info. (CDC)
      2. All-nighters lead to lower GPA. (Dr. Pamela Thatcher, psychology professor at St. Lawrence University)
   4. Chronic health conditions—depression, obesity, diabetes (CDC)

1. Daily routine changes [Don’t read as list. Look up!]
   1. Prioritize sleeping
   2. Consistent sleep and wake-up times
   3. No TV/Internet in bed; just sleep
   4. No alcohol/caffeine close to bedtime

1. Christine Padilla, fatigued mother driving 33 hours after birth, kills nanny and severely injures toddler. (Snejana Farberoy, Daily Mail, 2013) [Show image of crash]
2. SD is concerning problem for individuals and communities.
   1. Causes: busy schedules, media use, alcohol/caffeine/medical problems
   2. Devastating effects
   3. Mostly preventable with simple changes
3. Get some rest!

• Ideas will come in from every direction, so planning and organization are key. David Frum, a former White House speechwriter, observed that “the planning for the next State of the Union really begins the day after the last State of the Union” (as cited in Jackson, 2006).
• Speechwriters need to bear in mind that they are writing for two different—albeit not mutually exclusive—audiences. Chriss Winston (2002) points out that members of Congress and Washington insiders judge the speech primarily on its policy content, whereas everyday Americans tend to look for leadership qualities and their own values in the president. The challenge lies in choosing content and language that speak to both groups.
• The key to avoiding what Matthew Scully (2005) refers to as a “tedious grab bag of policy proposals” lies in the skillful use of transitions. Instead of jumping from point to point, speechwriters need to find and build unifying themes among the many policies under discussion. Thus George W. Bush’s speechwriters were able to draw connections between such issues as cloning and war by focusing on the overall theme of human dignity and human rights. These connections allowed for natural transitions from one issue to the next (Scully, 2005).
• Creating unified themes is also crucial to keeping the content (and length) of the speech from spiraling out of control. President Bill Clinton was known for long State of the Union speeches that detailed many policy proposals, while President George W. Bush preferred to stick to big ideas. President Barack Obama chose in his second term to use current events, including major storms and shootings, to advance his agenda items, such as climate change and gun control legislation.